Parenthood
by kayak
Summary: Sanji and Nami take on their next greatest challenge since their journey through the Grand Line.


Parenthood

Nami felt a small tug on her sleeve as she slept. Drowsy, she struggled against the haze of lethargy. She stayed up late the night before. No more poring over maps and books under the dim light, she told herself. It was bad for her eyes. The tugs continued to persist, demanding her attention, until she finally rolled her head to side and cracked open her eyes.

The soft morning light filtered in between curtains of the bedroom and a pair of children were staring at her. The boy wore light blue pajamas with little yellow ducks printed all over. The younger girl had on pink-colored pajamas with little orange kittens.

Already? Didn't she just feed them last night? Nami groaned quietly. It was still too early to get up.

Shou was patiently waiting, his body swaying side to side. He was bared-foot and his floppy hair was in dire need of combing. Niki looked half-asleep in her white puffy slippers. She held onto her brother's sleeve by one hand. Her long strawberry blonde hair tangled up like a wild shrubbery. Niki could have used another hour or two of sleep, but out of habit followed her older brother.

"Sanji-kun," Nami murmured sleepily. He shifted momentarily underneath the covers, but didn't say a word. She tried calling his name again, but to no avail. Sanji wasn't budging from his position. Nami tossed off the sheets to find Sanji in his usual spot. His face pressed against her bosom. His favorite pillow.

"Sanji-kun," she said, this time a little louder. She pinched his nose for good measure. "They're hungry. Go feed them."

Sanji yawned and grinned happily at her. "Nami-san, I had the most wonderful dream."

"Yes, yes. Now go feed the kids." Nami sat up and slipped out of bed. Sanji made an attempt to grab her for quick smooch but only caught air for his trouble. He tumbled ungracefully onto the floor and landed in front of their children.

"Papa?" the little girl asked as she rubbed her eyes. She was surprised to see her father on the floor.

Sanji scooped Niki up in his arms and kissed her cheek. "Hungry? Let's make you something scrumptious." He took Shou by the hand and they all headed to the kitchen.

The kitchen was small and modest. Not as enormous as the kitchen in Baratie or as technically advanced as the one on the Thousand Sunny, but Sanji could still cook up a grand banquet in it when the situation called for it. Right now, cooking breakfast for two small children should be a simple task for the former pirate cook.

The little ones climbed into the chairs while Sanji put on his apron and heated up the stove. What should he try today? There was no point asking Shou. The boy ate anything he made. He was like a weed, outgrowing his clothes faster than they could buy them. Niki-chan, on the other hand, was a little more particular than her older sibling. Sanji always wanted to indulge her with his culinary mastery, but he was having a hard time about it.

Sanji made his decision and whipped up pancakes for breakfast. He took extra care with Niki-chan's plate, decorating her pancakes with berries, cream, and powdered sugar. When he presented breakfast to them, he stepped back to watch the results.

Shou scarfed down his pancakes in record time, scraping the plate with his fork and making all kinds of noises. Then he chugged down his milk, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"Oi. Don't use your clothes. Use a napkin. And what's the hurry? Slow down. Don't drink like that." Sanji saw the boy needed some serious training with his table manners. Where did he pick up such eating habits? To top it off, Shou ran from the table as soon as he was done eating.

"Hey," Sanji shouted. He headed off the boy and planted his foot on the doorway, blocking his exit with his long leg. "You forgot something." He tilted his head at the empty plate and glass on the table.

Shou heaved an annoyed sigh and stalked back to the table. Reluctantly, he carried plate and glass and put them in the sink. He shouted a hasty "Thank you!" as he flew out of the kitchen.

The little brat.

To Sanji's great disappointment, Niki-chan didn't touch her pancakes. She looked uncertainly at it, her legs swinging as she sat. Sanji was so sure she would like it. He created a pretty design and made sure the berries were the freshest and sweetest. Suddenly, Niki-chan picked up a fork, broke off a tiny edge of the pancake and took a bite. Sanji held his breath in anticipation. Maybe this time, he thought. Then his heart fell. Niki-chan set the fork down and smiled shyly at him.

His head dropped. Defeated again.

Sanji put on a bright smile. "I'm sorry. I gave you the wrong plate. Let me get your breakfast." He removed the pancakes and worked on making something else for her. A couple of quick slices with the knife, a spoonful of paste from one jar and jam from another, and he was done. He set a different plate on the table with the new creation.

The little girl's face brightened and she grabbed her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Thank you," she said with a big grin.

Niki-chan was so adorable eating her sandwich, Sanji soon forgot about his earlier disappointment. He could watch her eat all day if he could. She was happy. That was most important. But it was a little unusual she only wanted to eat sandwiches. Actually, anything with bread. She loved bread. Didn't matter if it was white, wheat, rye, rice or potato, as long as there was bread with her meal, she would eat it. Sanji had hoped the pancakes were bread-like, but no, not quite.

As a cook, he was still determined to win over her palate. To make a bread-less dish that could appeal to her palate. After all, there were so many other wonderful food in the world, it would be sad if she missed out on them.

Sanji glanced at the lonely-looking pancakes resting on the kitchen counter. It looked like he was having pancakes for breakfast.

After a nice hot shower, Nami got dressed and went to the kitchen, where Sanji was busy putting away a couple of jars into the cupboard. She snuck up on him, hugged him and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. Then she stole his pancakes, which delighted him for some reason. Niki giggled at them.

"And what yummy thing are you eating?" Nami asked. She bent down and kissed the top of Niki's head. "You want to trade with mama?"

Niki became alarmed and shook her head. She quickly finished off the rest of her sandwich and drank her milk. "All done," she announced proudly. She made an attempt to clear her plate and glass before Sanji swooped down and took them away for her.

When Niki was about to leave, Nami stopped her. "Wait," she said. There was a peanut butter smear on the corner of her mouth. Nami leaned down and wiped clean her mouth with her sleeve. "Okay, now you can go. Pick out what you want to wear today. I'll help you in a bit."

A rare alone time with the hubby, Sanji was elated when she shared the pancakes with him. Especially when she fed some it to him like a baby. Silly things like that amused him. Of course, Nami didn't mind. He was much more tidier than the kids when she used to spoon-feed them as babies. Sanji would never spit or throw up on her.

With breakfast finished, Nami headed to Niki's bedroom. Her room was frilly and girly, and filled with stuffed animal toys. There was a small table with tiny chairs where her bigger dolls sat. It was more than what Nami was accustomed to. As a child she was more inclined to look at books than play with dolls.

Niki had neatly laid out what she wanted to wear on her bed. A cute polka dot white dress. She had wore it earlier this week so it seemed to be her favorite.

Right now, Niki was struggling with her pajamas. She managed to get one arm out of the sleeve, but got stuck trying to remove the other arm. Nami stepped in and pulled off the pajamas for her.

"There you go. All free," she said.

Niki shook out her hair and smiled. Then she lifted her arms up as Nami dropped the dress over her head. Nice and pretty, she looked like she was on her way to a tea party. Now to work on her messy hair. Nami brushed and brushed while Niki fiddled with her little handbag. Her hair was getting long and Nami wondered if she should get it cut short like hers when she was her age. It would certainly be easier to maintain that way.

Tying her into two pig-tails, Nami straightened the ribbons and placed a wide brimmed sun hat on top of her head as the finishing touch. Niki looked in the mirror and was pleased with the results. She was ready for her jaunt in the backyard.

Hand in hand, they headed to the library.

The library, which was more of a workroom for Nami, had shelves of books and manuscripts. Her survey desk was cluttered with charts and drawing tools. It was in a state constant of disarray. Even after journeying the entire length of the Grand Line, there was still a lot work left to do. Redrawing and organizing her maps and binding them all together into an atlas.

To her initial surprise, there was big money involved if she did finish it. Several different book companies vied for a chance to publish her atlas. It was something she never considered before. People paying money for her work, a lot of money. That added an unexpected bonus to her goal.

Nami slid the screen doors open and let in the fresh air and the morning light. Niki wandered outside into the garden. Beyond the garden was the mikan groves. Harvest season was just around the corner. Pretty soon there would be rows and rows of fruit.

"Don't go too far," Nami warned. "Stay close to the house."

"Okay." Niki waved back to her. She started her exploration. Sometimes her older brother accompanied her, but lately he had been wanting to do other things than play with his sister.

After watching Niki for a while, Nami returned inside and sat down at her desk. Time to get back to what she was working on last night.

Every five minutes or so, she peered up from her drawing and checked up on Niki. The white sun hat was slowly moving towards the mikan groves. Nami opened her mouth to call her back, but stopped when she saw she didn't have to.

Niki sprinted through the garden and back to the house, her hand holding down her sun hat. "Mama, Mama, look."

"Did you find something?"

Niki nodded and she opened her handbag. One by one, she pulled out her discovery and lined them up on the edge of her desk. There was a flower, a leaf, a shriveled mikan fruit, a feather, a stone and another flower.

"Amazing, Niki. How did you find them? It must have been really hard." Nami picked up the flower and sniffed it.

"The feather was flying in the sky!" Niki explained.

"It was? And you caught it? That's incredible!"

Niki nodded again.

"Why don't you show the feather to papa? I bet he would love to see it."

Niki became thrilled over the suggestion and immediately ran off to find him. Nami grinned and wondered if she was ever that excited over a feather. It was nice to be young. Everything was new and an adventure.

Nami was about to start back on her work when the stone on her desk caught her attention. She picked it up to examine it. It was round and flat and covered in hard dirt. It was an odd-looking rock. Her fingers played around with it, scraping some of the dirt off the surface. Using her sleeve of her shirt, she continued to clean it until she realized it wasn't a stone at all.

Omg! Where did Niki find this?

Sanji checked the coconut custard pie that he was baking in the oven. Just a few minutes and it should be ready. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall. He needed to hurry. He had finished preparing lunch for everyone. Sandwiches for Niki-chan and fried chicken, salad, and soup for the boy and Nami-san.

"Papa! I found a feather." Niki-chan raced in and Sanji hefted her in his arms. She showed him the feather.

"That's marvelous." He took it from her and studied it in the light. It was long, stiff, and dark. Probably a primary flight feather from a migratory bird that often flew over Conomi Islands.

"You can have it."

"Thank you! You're so adorably cute when you're nice to Papa." Sanji lightly tapped her nose before setting her back on the floor. "I made your favorite grilled cheese sandwich for lunch."

Niki-chan covered her mouth to muffle a laugh. She ran off, he assumed, to find her mother.

After taking out the pie from the oven, he left it to cool on the counter. Making sure everything was good in the kitchen, he untied his apron and went back to the bedroom to change. He was running a little late for work. A clean white shirt from the closet and slacks from the dresser, he picked out a plaid red tie from the drawer. He didn't bother with a jacket. The recent days were hot and the nights were warm. As he adjusted his necktie in the mirror, he caught sight of someone standing in the doorway. He turned and found Shou lurking.

Shou was dressed in green shorts and cobalt blue hoodie that his aunt had given to him for his last birthday. His hair was messy and almost hid both his eyes. He quietly watched him as he fixed his tie.

"Listen to your mother and don't go running off like last time."

Shou pouted like he wanted to object, but kept his mouth shut. Sanji sensed he wanted something and not a lecture from him. He normally wouldn't hang around to chat with him. He was waiting for something. Sanji took a guess.

"You want to come with me today?"

Shou brightened and nodded.

This made Sanji's day. He was going to take his son to his restaurant. The thought was heartening to him. It wasn't Shou's first trip to the restaurant. The entire family had been there before, but it was the first time Shou wanted to come along to work with him. He had never shown an interest in cooking or anything food related except knowing when it was time to eat. He did the normal things other boys did, which was mostly getting into trouble.

Shou ran back to his room to put on his shoes.

"Nami-swann!" Sanji called out. "I'm taking Shou to work."

From somewhere in their home he heard her voice. "Have fun."

It was all set. He grabbed his bicycle and waited outside. Sanji wasn't a bike rider when he was a kid. There was no place for a bicycle on the Baratie, but it wasn't hard to learn once he did get a bicycle. It was all a matter of keeping his balance. He used it sometimes when he needed to make large deliveries in a hurry.

Shou appeared and he helped him on the back seat of his bicycle. It was more of a rack than an actual seat for someone to sit on. It was a little uncomfortable, but a good thick towel made it bearable. Once he was sure Shou had a good grip, he started pedaling.

At the restaurant, All Blue, he saw a couple of the denizen Cocoyashi Village standing in front of the entrance. The building wasn't spectacular as the name may suggest. It was a very modest and small cafe. It was painted entirely blue like the ocean with many fish, mermaids and fishmen dancing together.

"Sorry, sorry! I hope you weren't waiting too long." Sanji stopped and let off Shou. He parked his bicycle and quickly pulled his keys from his pocket.

Genzo grunted. He put down his newspaper and folded it. "Of course we were waiting. What else would we be doing?"

"We are only here because Nami made us come. If wasn't for her, we could be doing something else, you know," Dr. Nako complained. "At least be fair and come on time."

"Enter and take a seat. Should I make the usual?" Sanji secretly grinned to himself. Since Genzo and the doctor were confirmed old bachelors, cooking good wholesome meals weren't high on their priority. Nami-san somehow bullied them into coming to his restaurant. Her excuse: to drum up business, but really she wanted them to have decent meals everyday. Of course they never paid, but held a running tab that Nami-san always said she would claim with interest once she got around to collecting it.

The stove fired up and Sanji started his daily routine. It was a nice feeling cooking for people. He done it his whole life. On the Baratie and then on the Thousand Sunny and now here at All Blue.

Shou was kind enough to set utensils and napkins on the table without being told. He even served water, but Sanji took care of the hotter stuff like tea and coffee. When he was a little older, he would let him handle the dishware. It wasn't long before a few of the local patrons started showing up.

Sanji was busy with several orders working as diligently as could. He handled the cooking and serving himself like he always did on the Thousand Sunny. Despite there being more people to feed in Cocoyashi Village, it was still nothing compare his captain's enormous appetite.

For a moment he lost sight of Shou and wondered what he was doing. Did he wander off to play with his other boys his age? It wouldn't surprise him. Helping at the restaurant wasn't something he expected would hold his interest for very long.

To his surprise he saw Shou tending to one of the elderly ladies that often dropped by for tea and sandwiches. He watched as Shou try to push in her chair as she sat down. Where did he learn that? He wasn't successful and only managed to slide the chair a little, but it was thought that count. The little old lady laughed and rubbed his head at his eager attempt. She reached down to grab her purse and opened it. She handed him a beri.

Shou took it without hesitation, which made Sanji stop what he was doing. He set his pan on the side and turned off the fire. What was going on? Tipping was something he never accepted from his customers. Good service came with his profession. It was something he took pride in. He didn't like what he was seeing. He wiped clean his hands on his apron and decided to move in for a closer look. What happened next set his temper boiling.

Shou pressed his hands together and almost made a pathetic face. "Could I get another one please? My papa is so poor. He doesn't make enough to feed us."

The little old lady frowned with concern. "Old dear. Why not? Is there some financial trouble?"

"Please help," he begged.

She paused unsure of herself. "If I can be of help, of course you can have another one." She peered in her purse again.

Sanji took that moment of distraction to grab Shou by his ear and pull him away. He quickly set down her order. "Madam, your tea and cookie. Let me take care of this little brat. He seems to be bothering you."

Shou squirmed under his hold, crying softly in pain.

"Oh no. He's no trouble at all. He's such a sweet child."

That remained to be seem, but he didn't say it out loud. "Enjoy your meal," Sanji said simply and bowed. He tugged Shou back into the kitchen.

The little brat. So that was the main reason he wanted to come with him to work. Sanji released his hold and scowled at him. "Where did you learn to do that?"

Rubbing his sore ear, Shou looked defiantly. "What? I didn't do anything wrong. She always give me something for doing stuff for her. Not like you."

Sanji wanted to kick his butt right there and then, but held back. He realized it was mostly his fault as a parent. He had been too soft and lenient, letting him get away with all kinds of bad behavior. The shitty old geezer would never have put up with that kind of lip from him. It was time for some hard love.

"You like doing stuff for money, right? I got something you can do for me then." He went into the storeroom and bought out two heavy bags of potatoes and dropped them at his feet. "I want all these peeled."

Shou looked aghast. "All of them?"

"Yeah, for now. I'll find more for to do you later." He tossed him a vegetable peeler. "Better get started."

It was still a light punishment compare to what Sanji through with the old geezer. As a kid, peeling potatoes was a regular pastime for him. It was a simple enough chore, but it had be done to Zeff's complete satisfaction, removing enough of the skin without wasting any of the tuber. If Zeff didn't like them, he had to do another batch. It drove him nearly crazy with all the potato peeling he did. And for the longest time, Sanji didn't understand how peeling potatoes could build one's character. It sounded like some bullshit grownups always say, but now it was beginning to make sense. He came to understand the importance of good work ethics. All work, no matter how menial, should be done with care and pride.

Sanji looked over and saw Shou seated on ground, cross-legged. He solemnly picked up a potato and gazed at it and then at the vegetable peeler. He tossed it back into the sack and made a sour face. Sanji clunked on him the head. "Respect your food."

Shoo grimaced and rubbed his head. Sanji gave him a threatening glare and he immediately picked the potato and started peeling, albeit very clumsily.

The boy needed some serious discipline. Better throw in some apples, pears, and carrots to keep him busy. He was going to be peeling all day.


End file.
